Ephesians 5:22-33
One of the best experiences I had while living in Cape Coral was my time working for B2, even though I wasn’t the owner. I was the sales and marketing leader and while I wasn’t in charge, I certainly helped lead us down some cool paths for the company. This was because I was the public face of the company. I couldn’t make decisions, but the connection between Brett and I was vital, as a lot of what I did would invariably direct the movement of the company. B2 needed me, and I needed B2 – more than as my employer – they did so much to help my focus on ministry and my time spent as a bi-vocational pastor that I could never thank them enough for it. It was a great team that worked very well together. We all knew what we needed to do and stayed in our lanes. Good relationships work like that.
A couple weeks ago, we talked about how marriage as God designed it is an earthly image of the Trinity. Please note that marriage is not an exact representation of the Trinity. It is an earthly example, something that alludes to, but is not a mirror image. Our earthly language expresses a relationship that exists in the heavens that is beyond our capability to comprehend. The Shema (Deut. 6:4-5) connects to the same idea of one-ness as Genesis 2:24. That one-ness exudes equality; their membership in the relationship has them at the same level and value. There is also complete unity in all things; the same purpose, the same love for creation, etc…
These are a few of the similarities in common with a married couple in God’s original design. That, however, does not mean their roles are the same. For example, we know that the Father is the Creator, maker of heaven and earth, Christ is the Savior, the Holy Spirit the one who brings new life into believers. While a husband and a wife are equal partners in a marriage as one in nature, they are of course, physically, two distinct individuals with specific roles to fulfill. By looking at these human roles at work in a marriage, we can gain a deeper love for an appreciation of the Trinity in its unified, majestic beauty.
Submission is Not Second Place
Phil Jackson was a great coach. And while many knew his name, he was not the one you thought of whenever someone brought up the Chicago Bulls team of the 90s. That honor will always belong to Michael Jordan, the GOAT. While Jackson was in charge of the team, Jordan was the spotlight, the showcase. This is the point of submission; to be the shining light on display, the belle of the ball, the one in which turns all the effort into magnificence. Being the best of the best means submitting to the one paving the way. It is following the trusted leadership of the sacrificial servant. Jackson’ job was to make the players better, not to play himself. The one in the submission role is the one who goes on a journey of discovery, growth, and pruning to become all they were designed to be. In a marriage, the beauty and joy of the wife is a telltale sign of the quality and health of that marriage. The more a wife shines, the more she is filled with all she needs to be her best. The Son and the Spirit submit to the Father doing and saying as He directs, which puts them in position to be everything that they are. This is shown in the relationship between Christ and the church specifically. The more we submit to Christ as the church, which is a non-gendered role (we are all the bride of Christ and in the submission role as believers), the more we become who we are designed to be and the more brightly we are able to shine the glory of God through our lives. Submission is not second class, but the face of the movement, organization, or team.
Leadership is Sacrifice
Yet people still think leadership is the golden ticket. It would be better to be in charge! Right? Mark 10:45 tells us that the Messiah came to serve. Jesus defined leadership through His life as service, demonstrating it everywhere He went. Feeding and healing people were His main activities. This is shown most powerfully through the cross, when He gave up of Himself to lift up the church, providing the way of forgiveness and allowing His people to be presented back to Himself as holy and blameless. Leadership, as shown by Jesus, is self-sacrifice for the betterment of others. It’s not about making decisions, being in charge or lording over authority. Authority is meant to lift up others to their original place before God, not hold them down. This is what a husband is called to do for his wife, what Christ did for the church, and what God does consistently through numerous ways even today. Talk about how He said He wouldn’t heal me but sustains me and has allowed me to live without health restrictions. I am His workmanship (Eph 2:10) and He is using my life for His glory.
Next Steps
This is what a God-honoring marriage looks like – the husband’s authority lifts up the wife, making her a bright light of love and joy to fill the home and share Christ’s love with others. Together, they are unified in purpose and relationship, giving us a glimpse of the majesty of the Trinity.
- Pray, asking God to lift you up for His showcase. Give Him freedom to work in you for His glory.
- Step into the situations He gives you. Trust His work in you and live loud.
I’m proud of my time with B2 and thankful for the teamwork with Brett—it was a good partnership. Are you living fulfilled in God?
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